So Addington Raceway looks to have been deemed the big winner out of the RITA track purge of 2020.
Like a Stalin-esk show trial of the 1930’s it’s proving a fairly harrowing experience for those in the firing line – even the well named Leon Trotsky would have been hard pressed to see the extent of this ice-axe-driven assault!
If all of the track / race venue changes proposed by RITA do come into fruition then Addington is set to adopt a massive increase in racing dates and the obligations that come with them, and while the consultation period is ongoing it’s, at the moment, hard to envision any drastic change or recoil on the propositions announced, particularly in the Canterbury Region.
Maybe Geraldine might fight the good fight and win the day? Maybe not.
So what will this mean for the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club and Addington track? And can it rise to this most challenging of challenges?
Apart from a short stint of smaller-stake Tuesday-run meetings that took place a few years ago Addington has (and rightfully so) been the track of the higher class racehorse. Its Christchurch City location providing an administrative hub and racing focus when presenting a higher class of race-horse to the general public and harness racing fan. Its premier race days and nights scattered across the racing calendar for all to enjoy. The overall caliber of racing generally does wane through winter but that’s to be expected with the amount of horses going around decreasing when Jack Frost is in town.
Now Addington needs to become, at least in part, the track for both the superstar head-line open-class act and the common standardbred journey-horse, an advocate for both Lazarus, the bull who slayed them all to the roars of the crowd, and Kelly Evander, the maiden battler who slayed very few but kept trying despite the obvious “ability deficit”
In other words Addington needs to become, to an extent, a representative of the tracks and racing cards that it’s inheriting by allocation.
Addington has to become an Addington a Forbury, and a Timaru all rolled into one. An Addburu!
So can Addburu Raceway be a sound custodian of racing opportunities? A beacon and facilitator of democratic industry activity? Will its increased responsibilities provide a much needed injection of vigour and ideas into a beleaguered sport or will the increase in responsibility drive a dictator-like desire for further power and fortune?
Despite those slightly hyperbolic mutterings one thing is for sure, that if the new racing calendar does go ahead this new look Addburu will need to get its head around race programming.
Lower-grade and / or non-winner stands will be an area of interest in particular. The number of these present in Addington race cards has always been limited due to the nature of historic racing and positioning within respective track hierarchies, that will need to go through something of a change with the lower grade or non-win horse playing an increased role in race cards.
Standing starts,despite the mixed reaction to their existence , play a large role in a number of top stables annual race track returns and in supporting a good part of the racing landscape, fail to encourage or provide such race conditions and you’ll swiftly put a rather tight financial noose around the neck of a number of trainers.
Along with that it’ll be interesting to see if feature events from tracks closed maintain their significance when racing at Addington. Is a Timaru Cup likely to be the showcase of a Sunday card at Addington in 5 years time? I hope so (although back at Timaru the obvious best scenario) and what about the members of disenfranchised race tracks and clubs, how do you cater for those people and make them feel welcome, appreciated and valued?
All questions that Addington will provide answers to soon enough I’m sure.
So what’s the sign of a successful transition to the Addington way of harness life?
How about this for an idea.
Go through all of the meetings that were held at Addington, Forbury and Timaru over the last season and count up how many individual stables notched a win at any of the venues.Now subtract wins at Forbury from Southern based trainers that normally race further south anyway, you’ll be left with a number…Then go back after the season to come and count the number of individual stables that were able to win at Addington over the course of their 77 or so meetings. If Addington is representing the industry well and getting their race cards to encompass all grades and racing scenarios I do believe that the numbers shouldn’t be too far away from each-other (maybe a few less given that a proportion of the Forbury based trainers will simply not cover the miles to Christchurch like their Cantab counterparts have done)
If that’s the case then well done Addington, the NZ Mett and all those involved.
And if not?
If there’s a large drop off in individual stables represented in the winners circles then I think we all know what that means. That the rich are getting richer and everybody else is off the mobile arm and struggling to keep up with the bills.
That would be the concern but it’s also one that shouldn’t be judged right now.
All signs are that Addington has been given a chance, an opportunity, for now it’s also a chance for the displaced masses if they want it and have the ability to get there.
So Addburu Raceway, It appears to be over to you!
Ben McMillan